Step 1: Sign up for a Mad Mimi account:

Go to www.MadMimi.com. For the free plan, click on the “Start totally free” button (the blue arrow) on the homepage.

(If you prefer a paid plan, click on the tiny “plans for business” link at the red arrow.)(If you choose the paid option, here’s the screen you’ll see, below. The arrow points out that there are less expensive plans than the $42/month plan – thank goodness! Follow the steps provided by Mad Mimi to set up your plan.) Sign up using your email address, Facebook or Twitter. then click “Create my account.”

To get the social media buttons you see on that completed email above, you’ll need to “Turn on” some of the awesome free features of Mad Mimi.

At the top of the webpage, click the “Add Things” button.

Then scroll down until you find the Social Links box. Click “On” then “Go set it up.” It will walk you through adding your business’ social media to those buttons at the bottom.

While you’re in the “Add Things” section, you should also turn on two other important features that I recommend: Facebook Signup and Web Forms.

Facebook Signup creates a tab on your business Facebook page that allows people to sign up for your newsletter directly from Facebook, using the web form you’ll create in a moment (below). After you’ve created a web form, click “On” and “Go set it up” and follow the instructions provided.

Now that you’re done creating your sweet-awesome newsletter, time to send or schedule it!

On the newsletter editor page, click “Save,” then “Send.” You have the option to send it immediately (blue arrow) or to schedule it to be emailed later (red arrow).

Click the “Details” tab, then select the social media you want to attach to your newsletter. This panel of social media buttons allows your audience to share your newsletter on their social media. (The other social media buttons, above, take the audience to your social media pages.)

Then click “Send” or “Schedule.” Congrats! Your first newsletter, completed!

Step 3: Create a web form so people can sign up for your newsletter through your website: (back to top)

Web forms are a must-have. A web form integrates with your website so that people can sign up for your newsletter from your website. This form collects emails and adds them directly to your Mad Mimi account, to your “Audience” list, so you don’t have to add them manually.

Click “On” and “Go set it up.”

This will take you to the web form creator. It provides you with a basic form, with only one “field” or line for people to provide information: their email. I recommend asking for the first name as well. Click “Add a field” and then “First Name” to add a field for collecting the subscriber’s first name.

To jazz your web form up a bit, you can add your logo. Click the “Theme” tab, then click “Browse” to upload your logo into the “Logo Image” section.

If you don’t have WordPress, the next part depends on your comfort level with the inside of your website, as well as how easy (or difficult) it is to add a little snippet of HTML code to your website.

Certain website builders are really easy to use, like Weebly and Homestead.

As an example (since I have access to a Homestead website), I’ll provide step-by-step instructions for adding your web form to a Homestead website.

Essentially you simply copy and paste the HTML code. You don’t have to mess with the actual structural HTML code of your website in order to install web forms with Homestead.

Just as a warning: I don’t recommend actually entering into or messing around with the text version of your website’s HTML code if you’re not sure what you’re doing. (I’m going to show you something much safer and much simpler.) It can cause trouble if you mess something up and then don’t know how to fix it! (Um, voice of experience.)

Other website builders (or “hosts”) may have a similar, easy copy-and-paste areas for HTML code, so take a look at yours to see if it’s as easy as this example.

Alternatively: If you don’t want anything to do with the innards of your website, simply let your website tech person know that you made a web form and it’s ready to be installed on your website.

An Example: Adding your web form to a Homestead website:

While still in the web form section of Mad Mimi, click on “Embed.”

Click “Styled Embed.” Highlight all the text in the box and copy it (Ctrl + C).

Log in to your website’s editor. In Homestead, you would open the “Website Manager.” Click “Insert,” “More,” and then “HTML.”

You’ll see this empty box. Erase the phrase, “your html snippet.”

Paste the “Styled Embed” that you copied from Mad Mimi into the box and click “Ok” at the bottom right.

The HTML box will appear like you see below. Drop it where you want it and click “Preview” before publishing to make sure it’s in the right spot. (I recommend putting it somewhere towards the top of your homepage so people see it as they enter your website.)

Voila! See, that was easy. No real HTML knowledge needed. (Which is great, since I don’t have any!)

Phew! Great job! So now you’ve set up an account, created and mailed (or scheduled) your first email newsletter, created a web form, AND embedded it on your website and Facebook account. Give yourself a pat on the back!

How was this tutorial? Do you have a Mad Mimi or other newsletter service already? What do you think? Leave a comment below.

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